As a person who enjoys fantasy but doesn't read it as often as I should, I really enjoyed this book. First of all, the setting is FANTASTIC. It's set in the Jamaican jungle and it will absolutely captivate you. I also really loved the main character. I'm really trying to do this review justice without giving too much away because I think it's best if you go into it pretty blind like I did. I think the romance was a tad over-the-top and insta love is never my favorite but besides that I liked this book a lot. I would definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers.

3.5 rounded up to 4
Things I loved:
The cover
The jungle: it's sentient and is full of all manner of things that can kill you including poisonous insects, spirits, and monsters to name a few. Lauren Blackwood did an amazing job of bringing the Jungle to life. I also loved Victoria's relationship with the jungle and how she was able to navigate it when it attacks/kills everyone else.
The ending: it ended exactly how I was hoping it would.

Things that just didn't work for me
Well just one thing really, but it's a big one: the romance I hated John, and their relationship was too instalove for me, after just knowing her for a couple of days John is calling Victoria beloved and just everything he did annoyed me. Especially when Victoria is like "hey guys, the jungle has been warning us that it doesn't want us here, and if we keep going everyone is going to die" and John is all like its fine we want the go and even though he says he believes Victoria knows what she's doing when it comes to the woods, he completely disregards all of her warnings. He really wants that gold. This relationship/romance takes up a good portion of the story and I found myself bored until I could get back to reading about the jungle.

While this story didn't completely work for me, there were quite a few things that I really liked so I would definitely check out this author's future works.

While the concept was interesting, this book wasn't totally for me. I adored the setting but the romance just didn't hit the mark for me. It happened way too quickly to be believable. i think the author did this on purpose to showcase the main character's naivety, however it was just hard for me to read. I genuinely think this is an entirely subjective opinion and a lot of people will love this book!

This is a fantastic novel with original tropes and unexpected twists. The characters are well developed and interesting but what really propels this novel is the setting. As much a character on its own, it brings a new dimension to a story that could have been predictable and plain. The author deftly manages typical relationships and turns them ever so slightly in order to create something unexpected and satisfying. I absolutely loved it!

Wildblood is a young adult fantasy set in late 1800’s Jamaica. The main character is Victoria a “Wildblood” that is enslaved by a cruel boss and used for the magic abilities held in her body and abilities to manipulate blood. When a handsome young miner from the United States hires the company to escort his group to a region of the jungle famous for gold Victoria is asked to accompany him. She hopes that this opportunity will earn her a promotion but her childhood rival Dean is asked to head up the expedition instead. Along the way they’ll face jungle monsters and conniving humans and Victoria will be forced to face loss and events from her past.
Although I enjoyed the middle portion of the book while the team battled jungle monsters the beginning and end sagged a little for me. Somewhere around the three quarter mark a romantic relationship starts to take up a lot of the plot and it got a little annoying for me. I didn’t feel any real chemistry between the two and I felt the male half was love bombing her and being annoying. The ending was a little abrupt to me and it concluded in an unsatisfactory way. I’m not sure if I ever understood the magic their blood held and what they could do with it. As far as magical systems go, pulling blood out the bodies of other people is not my favorite.
Overall, this book has some exciting moments in the middle with truly unique monsters but it couldn’t make up for the last twenty-five percent with too much romance and an odd ending.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wildblood by Lauren Blackwood follows Victoria, who at a young age was kidnapped and forced to work for a touring company in Jamaica because of her powers. When told to participate in her most dangerous adventure, yet, Victoria knows that it will be up to the jungle who survives.

What I liked: This book was an adventure, and not just for the characters. The story had a nice flow that started a little slower, it then built into a fantastic ending. A book that takes place pretty much in one setting could be boring, but the way Blackwood wove the supernatural into her story made it so enjoyable. Talking about the writing, Blackwood is an excellent story teller. The way she develops her characters and slowly reveals information makes you want to keep reading.

To keep in mind: While I did enjoy this book as a whole, I feel like I am still left with questions (that I can’t ask due to spoilers). To me, there feels to be something missing whether it be character traits or more details. While I did enjoy the pace of this book, I did feel the beginning could have been just a touch faster to get to the action.

Rating: I read Blackwood’s debut novel and I can say her writing has improved in its clarity and general storytelling. This is a book for those who like supernatural adventures with only a touch of romance, and characters with a lot of trauma to overcome. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

“A wild soul should not be leashed by the ones who love her.”

The description of this book immediately grabbed me, and took me on an amazing metamorphic journey of our main character Victoria. I loved that this story touched on heavy topics like colonialism, human trafficking, and sexual abuse but did it in a way that showed the survivor’s journey and coming to terms that they have the power to move forward. The setting of a Jungle on a Caribbean island, Jamaica, that has a soul of its own was incredibly magical and atmospheric. The animals, and spirits, that come to life to protect their own were so fun to read about. There is a smidge of insta-love between Victoria and the client Thorn but it wasn’t something that I felt took away from the story. The writing was beautiful, with a few thought provoking quotes, and the ending just had me choking up. I will absolutely be going back to read the author’s debut novel, and can’t wait for more books to come by her.

Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
In this story, we meet an 18 year old girl named Victoria who is a Wildblood in the Exotic Lands Touring company. The Exotic Touring company is located in a Jamaican jungle and the Wildbloods take turns using their science to protect the travelers of the dangers of this magical, but highly dangerous jungle. The Boss denies Victoria of a promotion and is teamed up with her ex, Dean. Victoria will do anything to prove herself to the Boss.

First, I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this arc and the opportunity to review this book.

You all can find this book in stores on February 7, 2023!

Now, when it comes to this review, I have to say, I am struggling with how I should rate and review this book.

I'll start with the good. The writing is definetly well done and does well to describe the jungle and the dangers of it. When it comes to the ending, I am content with it and am very supportive of the choice Victoria chose. Then, this cover is pretty.

Okay, now the negative. With the writing being descriptive and easy to go with the flow of the story, the writing definitely lacks in going into the societal issues of sexual assault, colonialism, racism, men having more power and authority compared to women, environmentalism, classism, abuse, and human trafficking. I wanted this book to go more in depth on these to give an emotional impact instead of skimming the surface.

There is a theme of found family in this book, but when it came to Victoria, Bunny, and Sam, there was not much development in this trope. Additionally, this book touches on the tropes of insta-love and a bit of a love triangle. Thirteen year old me would love these tropes, but twenty-seven year old me is not a fan.

This book uses the repetitiveness of having characters “kissing their teeth” and it drove me nuts to keep seeing it a lot through this 336 page book.

I found myself accumulating questions as I read of: why are Wildbloods hated, why is their magic called "science,” how is their science used, does their magic look similar to one another or are there different types of science, is this island the only place that has Wildbloods, why and how is Victoria the most powerful Wildblood, is there a specific race considered a Wildblood or can multiple races have this magic, how does one know someone in society is a Wildblood, and how did this company come to be?

I love the synopses of Lauren's books, but unfortunately her writing style just doesn't mesh with me. I found Within these Wicked Walls forgettable and un-engaging, but I wanted to try this one because I loved the concept so much. I had the same problem here - there's nothing wrong with the book, per se, I just never really got into it and left it feeling as though I had already forgotten it.

Victoria has a unique power: she can control blood. Because of this she was kidnapped from her home in the Jungle to work for a touring company. Her job is to keep the tourist safe as they explore through the jungle that is riddled with monsters and ghosts.

She was promised that on her 18th birthday she would receive a promotion, but her abusive boss denies her and gives it to her ex-best friend Dean instead. Her boss tells her she can receive her promotion on one condition. She must go along with Dean on a tour farther into the jungle than anyone (except for Victoria) has gone before, and she better make Dean look good, or else.

I very much enjoyed this book! I thought the concept was so cool and the characters had so many realistic layers. I loved Victoria and was so invested in her story and struggles.

I thought the relationships and backstories between the characters were so interesting! I also, really liked the flashbacks. They provided just enough information without taking over the story.

The world building was beautifully done as well! I really felt like I was in the haunted jungle. The creatures and ghosts were so interesting and unique! The descriptions really helped me conjure them up in my mind so easily!

I was a little worried going into this one since it is described as having horror elements and that is not a genre I really enjoy reading, but I would definitely place this one in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, just with lots of blood (obviously lol). So even if you’re not a horror person like me, I would still try this one out!

The only thing I will say that I didn’t really love about this one is I wasn’t super surprised by the twists. The whole story kind of stayed on the same track for most of it and I could predict a lot of what was going to happen. I won’t say that is necessarily a bad thing, but a few more surprises would’ve been nice.

Overall this book was wonderful! It has so many different elements, fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, romance, etc. I would 100% recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

The idea behind this story was really creative to me. You essentially follow teenagers who are forced to use their magical abilities to help guide travelers through the jungle.

Overall though, I was a bit confused at times and feel like things needed more explaining instead of leaving it to the reader to assume. I do like that this book touches on a variety of important topics such as sexual assault, racism, violence, graphic death, and emotional and physical abuse, I would recommend this book but would hope any sequels after would be more flushed out.

Victoria is a Wildblood who was kidnapped as a young child to work for a company that does tours in the Jamaica jungle. Creepy things lurk in the jungle and Wildbloods use their magic to protect tourists. When Victoria is passed up for a promotion she deserves, it was given to her ex and arch nemesis, she becomes more determined to prove her worth. When Thorn hires the tour company to take him deep into the jungle to mine for gold Victoria must use her magic to keep everyone safe. As she gets to know Thorn sparks begin to fly and Victoria must decide what she really wants.

I really loved Blackwood's last novel and while I did enjoy this one too I also felt like I had more questions than answers. I feel like the concept of Wildblood was never fully explained and if it was I didn't fully understand it. I love the idea of mythical creatures and monsters in the jungle and when characters grow and learn. At the same time I kept waiting for something really exciting to happen and it never did. When the story ended I thought "that's it?" I couldn't figure out if Dean (Her ex and arch nemesis) was truly an enemy or friend because it kept going back and forth in the story. Overall it was just ok for me.

The concept for this book is very unique and the idea of blood science definitely piqued my interest. I absolutely loved the cover as well.
However, the execution wasn’t great. I felt like there wasn’t enough set up with the blood science and why the Wildblood a were special and why Victoria was the most special. I just had to kind of go along with what the author said without much to back it up. I felt like this book could have been really good but I unfortunately came out of it with more questions than answers.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I picked this book for the jungle setting but much more me in. Victoria works with other guides to take travelers through the Jamaican jungle, full of magic, like her. The story follows one expedition that leaves the path behind to travel deep into the jungle. For this, Victoria is teamed with her childhood friend, Dean, now a spiteful rival. Victoria’s conflict and cooperation with Dean set this story apart more than anything else. Dean is a multidimensional villain who can’t be vanquished in an instant.
Between the encounters with strange forces in the jungle and the depth of characterization, this novel was not like anything I have read before.

First and foremost, this cover is STUNNING. After reading the synopsis and seeing the cover, I was immediately drawn to this book. It is honestly unlike anything I have read before - and I was happy to see such a new original plot point in fantasy books.

I enjoyed it, there was some issues in my opinion, but there were things I really enjoyed as well.

SUMMARY
Victoria, a wildblood, is a servant for the Exotic Lands Touring Company after she was kidnapped when she was a little girl. When a group of Americans come to locate gold in the depths of the jungle, Victoria is ecstatic because she was promised the position as a tour guide the year prior. When she goes to her boss to express her excitement on becoming a tour guide, she finds out the position has been offered to her childhood rival (and ex-lover). As is is the strongest Wildblood **basically a blood witch** she must make peace with him and deliver the group safely throughout the jungle. But the Jungle is not like other jungles, it is sentient, riddled with spirits and deadly insects.

What I liked
- The sentient forest and its inhabitants were amazing - they were my favorite part of the whole book, it gave me a bit of "A Deadly Education vibes where literally everything is trying to kill you.
- cool magic system, the Wildbloods "Science"
- Some pretty intense themes of rape, abuse, colonialism, forced labor, manipulation, ecotourism, environmental issues and finding your own freedom, even if its not what others think it should be.
- I enjoyed Victoria as a protagonist.
- River mumma and Biggsy :)
- THE ENDING

Where it fell short
- While I enjoyed some of the characters, I do wish there was more chemistry and development between characters.
- some repetitive writing
- Wasn't a fan of the instalove/love triangle
- I wish the magic was explained more in detail - I loved the idea of it, but I needed MORE. I was also a bit confused when she had lightning, I felt it was never explained? Why was Victoria the strongest?
- between genres: has obvious important themes and social commentary, but contrasted with love triangle and instalove, it missed its mark.

Mild spoilers ahead
All in all - I did enjoy how the book ended. Victoria, rather then giving up everything she had ever loved to be with Thorn, she choose herself and her happiness. I feel like the ending made up for some of the middle parts that dragged on.

Regardless, I do think people will enjoy this book - if you love YA fantasy with some mild social commentary - this may be for you!

Thank you very much to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed Blackwood's first book, Within These Wicked Walls, and I feel like she has written something just as fascinating and magical. If you're into monsters, folklore, and jungles that are alive, this is the book for you.

Blackwood has a way of writing characters with these incredibly complex relationships and messy (traumatic) pasts who stand in their power so completely. In Wildblood, that character is Victoria. I really enjoyed following Victoria's story; her love, her rage, and everything in between. She's connected to the jungle in a way no one else is, and it's both a strength and something that puts a target on her back by the people around her.

Although the first half is mostly about character relationships, the second half of the book unleashes lots of interesting surprises about what's lurking in the jungle. It could get fairly gory for a YA novel, but Blackwood never lingers long on those scenes. It's exciting and fast-paced and I absolutely adored it.

My biggest wish for this book is that it had taken some more time to flesh out the relationship between Victoria and [redacted]. While I really enjoyed them together, it happened fairly quickly. I think just a little bit more detail in their early conversations would have been amazing.

I also found that it took quite a while to really get a full description of what exactly a Wildblood can do, and while I caught on to it eventually, I think an earlier demonstration/description would have made it easier to get into the world of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating fantasy read that pulls from both myth and culture. The angst of the main character was believable, and the relationships were textured and real. I didn’t enjoy the writing as much as the author’s last work, but it was still enjoyable!

A treasure hunt in a sentient jungle that tries to kill people? Sure I’ll give it a try.

Wildblood
By Lauren Blackwood
3.5⭐️
Out February 7th

Brief summary: Victoria is one of many kids with a special power who have been kidnapped and forced into slavery for a tour company that uses their blood science to protect the wealthy tourists from a murderous jungle. She has tried her best to protect her fellow Wildbloods and work her way up in the company. She has a chance to earn a promotion, but she has to go on a very risky expedition first.

I enjoyed reading this book, I wanted a little more out of it but overall it was a fun read. The setting was really well done and intriguing. I enjoyed the MC.

Just a few minor writing icks and wanting a little more out of the plot in the second half of the book kept me from giving it 4.

Huge thanks to Wednesday books and Netgalley for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book as the synopsis sounded very intriguing. It just fell a little flat for me. The magic system was not explained at all and I found myself wanting more; especially because the magic system was unique. How do they become Wildbloods? It was never explained in the book. The atmosphere in the jungle was great and I think the author did a great job with that. The romance was not believable to me, very instant love and I didn't fully invest in it. If you enjoy very atmospheric reads with soft magic systems, than this book is for you. 3 stars.

**Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

This book was absolutely thrilling from start to end! I’m not a horror/ thriller girlie but this book has a good balance of thrill, plot, romance and character development. I enjoyed this book so much I read it twice and then pre ordered a physical copy for my bookshelf !